1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an object collision detection apparatus that determines in advance, using computer simulation techniques, whether two objects will collide, or detects likewise the location and the time of collision, and more particularly to one that is designed to attain sufficient accuracy even at a high speed.
The invention can be applied to control of a robot, a Numerical Control (NC) machine, and other applications.
In the following, the term "collision" means that a moving object hits another object, while the term "interference" means a state in which two objects overlap each other.
2. Prior Art
In a planning stage of production, it is recognized that geometric simulation using shape models is effective in verifying the motions of a robot or working process of an NC machine. In such simulation, it is important to detect collision between objects. For example, in the so-called off-line robot motion teaching, in which the motion is taught to the robot without stopping the production line, it is essential to check collision between a robot and another robot or object in advance, by simulation.
Conventional techniques for detecting collision can be roughly divided into the following three types.